This corral marks the launch of the next phase of our pilot Bicycle Corral Program and is the first installation of a new corral design, our very own palm tree-adorned version of the Dero Cycle Stall Elite. The latest design will continue to be seen across the city as we work to have 9 more similarly designed corrals installed in L.A. neighborhoods in the near future, identified through our Bicycle Corral Interest Form on a first-come first-serve basis.

The Atwater Village corral occupies an underutilized space adjacent to the metered diagonal parking on Glendale Boulevard, a space that was already vacant red curb (no car parking was removed to install this corral). The corral now provides 12 additional parking spaces for the Glendale Boulevard business corridor and will encourage local trips for shopping and dining by bicycle.

This past Saturday, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell hosted a ribbon cutting for the community, commemorating this important next step in establishing mass bicycle parking in the city’s local shopping districts. At the ceremony, Senior Bicycle Coordinator Michelle Mowery stressed that, “The main thing about [the corral program] is our sponsor – the City doesn’t have the money to maintain these and we depend on our sponsors like Kaldi Coffee to be able to make these happen.”

The Bicycle Corral Program is an important element in our Bicycle Friendly Business District (BFBD) program which is currently under development. The BFBD program is based on the very basic concept that when people travel by bicycle and walking, they are more observant of their surroundings. These modes of travel allow people to notice local businesses that they would miss in a car, encourage patrons to spend more time in one place, and by proxy, encourage people to spend more dollars. Ample bicycle parking enables local business corridors to maximize their retail potential while minimizing the congestion normally associated with popular destinations. Bicycle corrals also improve the air and noise quality of the corridor, creating a more enjoyable atmosphere for shopping, dining, and socializing.

Kaldi Coffee owner Alex Mirecki recognizes the importance of local businesses supporting bicycle infrastructure in Los Angeles. He says, “We’re at a point where a bike-friendly LA is feasible – you no longer see that incredulity that you used to face: people know it’s coming, know that it’s only a matter of time; and I think this is a big step towards that, so we’re excited to be a sponsor of that.”

Corral maintenance partner, Alex Mirecki of Kaldi Coffee, received a certificate from Councilmember O’Farrell, in commemoration of the business’ 10th anniversary

The BFBD program hopes to launch in 2014 and will provide various mechanisms by which local businesses can promote themselves to bicyclists, including sponsoring a bike corral. If you would like to sponsor a corral in the future, please fill out the Bicycle Corral Interest Form and join the wait list! To receive more information about our Bicycle Friendly Business program, you can fill out the Bicycle Friendly Business Interest Form.

A special thank you to all of our maintenance sponsors, we could not do this without you!